Chapter 406: Chapter 406: Toast and Happy Conversations_1

After getting everything set, they all sat down, wrapped in the cloaks and blankets Wei Ruo had given them, huddled closely together.

Just this morning, none of them had imagined this kind of predicament for pampered young men like themselves.

Who could have thought that in merely half a day, they would find themselves huddled together in such a disastrous state? Despite this, they were receiving help from Miss Wei of the Wei Family. If not, their situation would have been even worse.

“Gurgle~” Lu Yuhong’s stomach made a sound.

The mutton soup and naan they had had at noon had indeed made them quite full, but after spending the afternoon busy, they had almost digested it.

Embarrassed, Lu Yuhong gave a sheepish smile. At this moment, he didn’t have the nerve to approach Wei Ruo to ask for food.

They were all traveling, and it was not usual to carry a lot of food on them.

Wei Ruo probably didn’t carry much either. It was already hard enough letting them have a full meal at noon; she probably had nothing left for dinner.

So, even if they were hungry again later, Mi Yuhong and the others didn’t feel it appropriate to ask for more.

At this moment, Wei Ruo emerged from the carriage, carrying three heavy cloth bags in her hand.

Under everyone’s gaze, Wei Ruo came forward and opened the first bag, which contained sweet potatoes.

Without washing the mud off, Wei Ruo placed the sweet potatoes in the brazier.

Then came the second bag, which contained small taros.

The taro Wei Ruo grew on her farm were usually large, but there were also some smaller ones. The taros Wei Ruo now took out were these smaller ones.

Similarly, Wei Ruo threw these taros into another brazier.

Finally, Wei Ruo opened the third bag, which contained cut pieces of rice cake.

Wei Ruo didn’t throw these rice cake pieces directly into the fire. Instead, she skewered them on bamboo sticks and roasted them over the fire.

These foods, once completely roasted, should be enough to fill them all.

Seeing this, the faces of Mi Yuhong and the others couldn’t help but show surprise and delight.

They originally thought they would go hungry tonight, but it seems they had underestimated the food reserves in Miss Wei’s carriage!

After a short while of roasting, the fragrance of roasted sweet potatoes began to permeate from the brazier. Whether it was just because everyone was hungry or not, the smell was extremely tempting.

The smell of roasted rice cakes and taros might not be as strong, but it was equally tantalizing.

Once the food was almost roasted, Wei Ruo went back into the carriage to get something.

When she returned, she was holding a jar of wine.

“Miss Wei, is this…?” Yuan Wangyuan asked, looking at the jar in Wei Ruo’s arms with a questioning look.

“Thyme.” Wei Ruo replied, placing the jar in front of them.

“Miss Wei, are you inviting us to drink?” Yuan Wangyuan asked again.

This was not just because Thyme was a rare and expensive wine, but because of their current situation. Having a warm place was already a luxury, let alone drinking fine wine.

“Drinking can keep the body warm in cold weather,” Wei Ruo explained.

Tonight, it was unlikely that they would be able to sleep well. The long and cold night was hard to bear. Drinking could not only warm the body but also pass time. It was an excellent idea.

At these words, their faces all showed joy.

Lu Yuhong was the first to stand up and express his gratitude: “Miss, you are really thoughtful!”

Yuan Wangyuan said: “Miss Wei, it is so considerate of you.”

Liu Yu added: “Miss Wei, you’ve thought of everything.”

Wei Ruo laughed and then instructed them to clean the bowls they had used for mutton soup.

The cleaning was simple, just wiping the bowls with some snow from outside.

Although this method might not clean the bowls very well, no one cared about such details under these circumstances.

Then they all filled their bowls with wine, including Wei Ruo.

Seeing Wei Ruo’s bold move, the group was briefly taken aback, but quickly realized it wasn’t a big deal.

Under normal circumstances, they should stick to etiquette and avoid any possible mistrust between men and women.

But under current circumstances, when life itself was unclear, they felt it was too old-fashioned to make distinctions between men and women anymore.

“I’ll go first and toast to Miss Wei, to express my gratitude for her help today and for preparing such an abundant meal.” Yuan Wangyuan was the first to stand up and express his gratitude, then he drank his wine.

Wei Ruo responded generously, lifting her bowl and taking a big gulp.

On seeing this, Lu Yuhong also stood up to propose a toast to Wei Ruo: “Miss, I’m not good at speeches. In short, I mean the same as Brother Wangyuan. In any case, here is my toast to you.”

After saying this, Lu Yuhong drank his wine.

Wei Ruo readily accepted it and drank another big gulp.

FOLLOWing them, Liu Yu and Gao Wentian also proposed toasts to Wei Ruo, expressing their gratitude for her help today.

As Wei Ruo cheerfully drank with the men, Wei Yichen remained calm and silent, not intervening.

He sat silently, his bowl of wine in hand and taking only a small sip.

Wei Ruo’s unrestrained image reflected in Xiu Fengyuan’s eyes. After a while, as if he had figured something out, he suddenly stood up.

“Miss, I will also toast you.”

Xiu Fengyuan’s face had lost its earlier tension, and he looked at Wei Ruo with a relieved smile.

As soon as Xiu Fengyuan spoke, everyone turned their surprised gazes to him.

He had been silent all day, and everyone guessed that he hadn’t completely put Wei Ruo behind him yet.

Wei Ruo was also a little surprised. She met Xiu Fengyuan’s eyes.

Seeing his friendly and cheerful smile, his eyes clear and sincere, Wei Ruo was immediately reassured. She raised her bowl in response.

Both of them drank their wine, then Fengyuan said, “Miss, I apologize for my previous abruptness. I hope you haven’t taken it to heart.”

“Same to you, Mr. Xiu, don’t take it to heart.” Wei Ruo replied.

Neither of them spoke clearly, but the meaning was clear to everyone present.

Xiu Fengyuan shook his head and laughed softly: “Certain things were my wishful thinking and they have nothing to do with you, Miss.”

At this point, of all the people present, only Wei Yichen hadn’t proposed a toast to Wei Ruo. All others had done so.

Afterward, they all continued to drink, happily eating the roasted sweet potatoes, taros, and rice cakes.

The clear white wine gave off a strong aroma, and the taste was even more delicious than usual.

Even those coarse-looking roasted sweet potatoes, taros, and rice cakes seemed like delicacies, making people immensely savour the food.

They were chatting and laughing. Despite the freezing weather, this meal had a unique charm.

Time seemed to fly by.

The sky gradually darkened, the snowstorm did not let up, and the temperature was getting colder.

At this moment, a few figures appeared in the white snow in the distance, garnering the attention of Wei Ruo and the others.

At the same time, those people also noticed the shed where Wei Ruo and the others were.

Seeing the shed, their faces lit up with delight, and they quickened their pace towards it.